


Princess Of The Hive

by Ourfandomcrazyuniverse



Category: Black Friday - Fandom, Starkid, Team Starkid - Fandom, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid, tgwdlm - Fandom
Genre: (You cannot believe how much I’m on sites like mumsnet esp for lgbwaeni lmao), Infected Paul and Emma basically adopt Alice, Other, Song is originally golden slumbers by the Beatles but from baby centre bc an edited lullaby, uncle paul - Freeform, violent descriptions (or I mean at least I tried lmao)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24605377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ourfandomcrazyuniverse/pseuds/Ourfandomcrazyuniverse
Summary: Alice is heir to the hive and living her best infected life. But then colonel Schaffer hits her with a new item, a tranq and cure all in one, but it doesn’t go well when Alice is left behind in a still very infected Hatchetfield, and the cured teen wakes up in the king of the hives arms
Relationships: Alice & Bill (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Alice & Emma Perkins, Alice & Ethan Green, Alice & Paul Matthews, Alice/Deb (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Paul Matthews & Alice, Paul Matthews & Bill, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins, infected paulkins - Relationship, paul matthews x Emma perkins, paulkins
Comments: 16
Kudos: 38





	Princess Of The Hive

**Author's Note:**

> So it’s Zoya’s birthday in a week and I’ve decided, for these seven days running up to and including their birthday, to write fics in my drafts I thought would be ones they’d enjoy! 
> 
> So for the next week y’all are getting a new fic every day!!! 
> 
> (I still have two to finish but ssh I will force myself to get them done it’s been a long process lmao)
> 
> So sit back and enjoy day 1, an idea I’ve been dying to write since I thought of it

“Uncle Paul can I please go now?” Alice asked with a bright smile, and bright blue eyes to match. She was so invested in the battle today, more than she’d ever been. Today was payback for her father.

Bill had been taken two weeks ago, and while Paul and Emma had adopted her since then, with her already being claimed as the heir to the hive, she missed her dad beyond belief. The pain ached in Paul’s chest as well, even now, but he had battle plans to look over. So instead he hummed a tune for Alice, smiling down at her till her smile grew and they finally harmonised once her heart was calm. She giggled up at her uncle, from his home, well the home he now owned in the more secluded part of town, as he brushed his finger against her nose. “Patience Alice.” He sang, Emma coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around her lovers stomach at the sound, nuzzling right into his spine, but nothing too much when the kid was here.

“Today we’re capturing one of their higher ups, then they can tell us exactly where Bill is.” He slipped his hand to hold Emma’s, his other reaching out for Alice, who hugged into his side. It had been hard on her when her father was taken, but she had such a big family now, thanks to the hive, and Paul and Emma had made her known that she was even closer to them.

On the walk into town, Paul span both his queen and princess with his hands, before letting them fall slightly behind so Emma could whisper to Alice all the things she was going to do to make whoever they got talk about her dad. While it made Alice feel better to be whispered too, giggling enthusiastically to show it, Paul could hear Emma even if she was on the other side of the island.

Paul was a good king, and he didn’t want the kids, including the teens, of their family to have to fight in their war. But older teens who wanted to, were allowed to be spies, safe on the rooftops. He’d lost a couple of them that way but they were the only ones who even slightly didn’t listen to him. But today Alice wanted to be part of the battle, and with the rage she held, as long as she promised to do exactly what he and General McNamara had planned, she was allowed to.

The helicopter landed and all stayed still, Alice waiting on the rooftop of Hatchetfield High and her body buzzing with anticipation. 

“Flank 1, move out.” The general called telepathiclaly to the others, and thus the distractions began, couples or groups of friends walking around the streets and pretending to not notice PEIP, no one was to be sent directly into the field on their own.

Then, Alices eyes widened as she saw the black cap and not helmet, along the brushes. She slunk along the rooftops until she saw her popping out. Colonel Schaffer. Her pink lips upturned in a snarl at the sight of her leading her little army. This was the leader, and the woman who singlehandedly stole her dad.

“Quiet, Alice.” Paul warned but with a laugh, from where he was positioned just a block down. Alice noticed she was growling quietly, and giggled instead. Before moving to humming inside her head space, prepping herself for her first hunt.

“I love you, my angel.”

“I love you too my sweet boy.”

Everyone in the hive could hear Paul calling out to Emma and her back as she stepped out onto the open, alone, doing a skip and dance down the streets. Paul knew Emma could take care of herself, but he still cared for her more than anyone on the island, she was his other half, his everything, his soulmate. And now she’d made the first attack, ripping up a solider boy from the dustbin he was settled in with a snarl. “We tried that last time.” She smiled sickly sweet at him. “Didn’t work.” 

A loud snap and then a heavy crumble to the floor and those were the war bells signalling the start of the attack from both sides.

No one was hiding now. Alice giggled to herself as she watched the soldiers flail, not nearly as in line as they were. She wanted to give a smug comment to Paul but she saw he was a bit busy with Emma right now, a mix of red and blue on their lips. With a content hum, their sweetness filling her and a contrast to the taste of her own blood in her mouth, biting hard to silence herself excitedly, she slipped down the smooth solar panels and down the sturdy escape ladder that definitely wouldn’t have held if it was Sycamores. She landed with a happy little note, before skipping through the empty streets now, ones Paul and the general had directed the fights away from, and slipped closer to the landing chopper.

‘Wait there’ was the plan. She had been told to stay and watch and learn, that they’d try and direct the weakest and a singular soldier her way and if she stayed right in that corner, with her friends on the rooftops making sure she was fully covered, they wouldn’t noticed her and she could grab them. 

That was the plan unless anything big happened. Paul had meant that more as in if she was in danger, but Alice noticed something even more plan changing ahead of her. Back at the foot of the stairs up to the massive army helicopter, was the Colonel Schaffer directing her soldiers to retreat. No one could hear Alices thoughts as she slipped away from her position, eyes bright on the woman who’d stolen her dad.

“RETREAT! FALL IN!” Schaffer yelled hoarsely. This was all planned from their side and a complete ambush, it didn’t matter how little or long they’d been down, as long as they had the men to come back and fight another day. 

‘Damn’ she thought, watching the majority of her soldiers all rush to the chopper, with their assailants far enough behind them. And this had been a day she was so excited for too. 

The doctors back at the lab had come up with something that could be game changing, well, if tested. A tranquilliser and cure all mixed into one dart.

Theoretically, hit with that you black out and wake up fully human again. But it was brand new so, she only had one to fire. They were supposed to capture someone, bring them back and test it on them, since everyone else had been long cured before this first batch was safe for testing. Or if they were lucky, hit someone with it, restrain them in the chopper and see how they look when they woke back at the lab. 

But there was not time for that now! Schaffer shot her regular pistol into the crowd, trying to deter the oncoming hive members who were emerging with the slower or further away last few soldiers to join. 

And it seemed to work, the hive was further away than the, still quite far, last flank of soldiers coming to her. Which meant it was quiet enough for her well attuned ears to hear an excited growl coming from the darkness at her side. 

She span around but her gun was knocked out of her hands before it even reached in aims way of their body. Her hands darted out and caught the two others that tried to claw at her face and neck, and, being pushed down with her own hands by the hives strength, she was face to face with a young girl in a pink cardigan. “THEIF!” The girl screeched at her, her dripping blue teeth gnashing out as she pinned Schaffer closer and closer with their entwined hands, to the point now her knees were buckling. 

Schaffer didn’t have time to think about what she was saying, too caught up by the teenager with bloodlust in her eyes. Schaffer knew she wouldn’t win on pure strength, not against the hive, even if it took the form of a kid. So she kicked the girls knee outward, and they crumbled. Her pistol far away, but her one miracle tranq gun still in her holster, she brought it out, _lucky_.

The girl pivoted as she was knocked back, and with a high musical note, she raised her arms to attack again.

**THWP!** Schaffer shot at the girl and the dart landed right above her heart. There were a few seconds of fight left in the girl, unusual for tranqs and Schaffer had to admit, she was impressed.

_“You.... bitch!..”_  
And like that, her eyes rolled white into the back of her skull, and she dropped to the ground like a stone. No longer a threat.

Boy she hoped that worked. But now they had someone to test it on! “ECHO!” Schaffer hollered, and the last of that team coming in, stopped from running into the safe helicopter ready for take off, began taking Alices arms and feet.

**_“ATTACK THEM!!!!!”_ **

This startled Schaffer. Only rarely did the king of the hive speak his commands, and she almost paled at the sight of him. Face blue with the blood rushing to it, eyes large and almost frothing at the mouth, as he spat his orders. 

Then Schaffer’s own eyes widened.

The hive looked almost exactly like Paul. They all cried in perfect unison and the sound was overwhelming, she on instinct even covered her ears for a moment before regaining her composure. Most frightening of all, they were all charging, faster, and citizens she’d never even seen before, all heading straight for her. Her eyes darted down, well, straight for the girl.

“ECHO CHOPPER NOW!” Schaffer yelled, having already yelled at them to retreat, she needed to be sure they understood her orders now. Three ran straight there, almost glad to be able to, whereas one stayed still trying to drag the girl on his own. Instead, Schaffer dragged them by the collar and threw them onto the air stairs, the ones Alice’s unconscious body lay mere feet away from. 

Schaffer grimaced and even allowed a punch to the inside of the aircraft as they took off and she had to leave their first test there. Damn. Looking down, she saw the hive coming to a full stop feet from Alice in a semi circle, all swaying together and looking down at her, it looked almost like a nervous tick. And Schaffer was low enough to be able to see Paul Matthews coming forward from the crowd, and lifting the unconscious girl into his arms. She could even see that he looked a very human emotion, concerned.

That was not the kings job to do. He hadn’t been that angry since she first tried to shoot an normal tranq at emma, but that girl had easily dodged it. He’d gotten the whole hive to send for this kid with a real snarl. That kid meant something to the king of the hive...

~

When Alice woke, it was groggily. Her head felt like it was buzzing but numb at the same time, and this wasn’t an early school wake up type of tired. She tried to groan but even that came out muffled. Then she twitched her fingers, and realised it was was returning feeling back in her body, where had it gone in the first place? And that’s when she felt the clear feeling of legs she was laying on. Her legs were cold on the wodden floorboards and her forehead was pressed against something squishy but firm, probably a stomach. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, she would have prefered being asleep on them if they were sitting on a couch, but at least it made her head feel better. From the front to the back of it, numbness started to partially fade.

But then, her eyes still closed from the bright light around her and just unwilling to open yet, she tried to discover whose legs she was laying on. She mentally folded through the people this felt like. Not Deb, these legs were longer, not her dad - why did her heart flip when she thought of her dad? The thought vanished from her. Then she peeked open one eye, for just one second. “Uncle Paul?”

“It’s okay, I’ve got you. I’m here for you. I promised they wouldn’t take you Alice.”

His voice sounded weird, strained. ‘Take her’? She sighed again, about all she could do. It took a lot to get her sentence out “What’s going on I- I don’t remember?”

_♪”Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby.”_

It was like a cold shot of ice in her veins, from her toes to her neck, only Paul was warm and wrapped tight around her.

Now Alice remembered. She was part of the hive... only now she‘s not.  
Not anymore.

Well she said remembered but it was more like realised. Only a few hive memories came back to her, more when she really tried to think, but that was for later. All she needed to know now was that she was cured, and Paul wasn’t, and most importantly, he didn’t know that.

Paul looked down at her from where he was holding her, where he’d been holding her for twelve hours now, ever since he’d carried her home, tear stricken and Emma desperately trying to coo over him and comfort him, even when he wouldn’t talk, all the while the hive bowed their heads as he passed the streets. But now she wasn’t signing along, not even a hum. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands. This wasn’t the usual connection they had. 

“What’s the matter?” He asked, not even bothering with an ‘Are you alright’ since he knew the answer to that was no. If it wasn’t enough of a worry to him that the tranquillisers had lasted anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 and a half hours beforehand, meanwhile she’d been out for half a day, Alice just didn’t seem like herself.

Alice made an effort to look into his eyes, even if they were only just becoming not blurry, it was probably a good thing she was still too dazed for her anxiety to be a dead give away, like she was only just noticing Paul’s hand stroking through her hair non stop. “I- I’m just tired.” She got out. Oh no, she didn’t think the hive stuttered a lot.

Paul’s lullaby turned into a hum as Alice spoke, but her words only made his eyes narrow more. He looked down at her seriously, but concern deep in his eyes. “You don’t seem the same. What did those villains do to you Alice? Songbird?”

Villains... do to her? Alice had to think back. What was the last thing she remembered? _Deb on top of her, in the choir room, Alice crying._ No! She made an effort not to wriggle in Paul’s arms. Come on Alice that’s not the last thing! There’s more memories there. You’re smart come on. Dad always says so. ...Dad. Dad was taken, by the colonel, she was fighting the colonel, at the helicopter, the colonel had shot her with a dart!

Alice went to see if she could feel anything like a small prick in her chest to see if it was there and gasped. It felt bruised. That was it! But why the hell had it cured her? It had never done that before? Was it an accident? Something in Alices blood? No probably not, her dad hadn’t been cured straight away, he got up within 31 minutes, a record apart from when Emma was shot around Paul, she’d watched him against the mesh of the chopper trying to claw his way out and reaching out for her. Okay don’t think about that... Was this a new cure and tranqueliser all in one? It was smart! Well, smart if they’d taken her back with them so she wouldn’t get re-infected!

Paul couldn’t hear her, but that was common for teenagers, and happened occasionally when their family woke from tranquillisers, although it was more blurry than nonexistent. But Paul’s mind was just purely on Alice.

“Are you losing your song?” He asked her. So, with his eyes still open, he leant forward to throw up into her mouth like a mama bird. His thumb stroking Alices face he waited for her to open her mouth, already starting to gag and regurgitate for her.

Instead Alices lips fell into a small ‘o’ shape and quickly and startled she pushed Paul away as hard as she could, falling and scrambling onto the hard floor. “No!”

Paul watched her in shock, scrambling forward on his knees and taking Alices hands back in his. She did everything she could to not pull them back. Uncle Paul wouldn’t hurt her even if he was king of the aliens, right?

“What’s wrong?!” Paul asked worriedly, gripping her strangely warm hands tight. “Do you not want to be in harmony again?!” Maybe a bit too tight for a humans strength.

Tears started to brew in Alices eyes and she brought her knees up to her chest, her hands still captive by him who was holding too hard, scared and hazed on floor of the house Paul had stolen. “I-I want- I want my dad!” And it was true. It was a big reason for Paul to believe her emotional state too and Alice thanked God not only that her dad was likely safe and cured in Clivesdale, but that she could use it to save her too.

Alice started to properly wail now. Frightened, alone and confused. Also fighting for her life. All of that is probably why she leant into Paul’s chest when he rushed to hold her, nuzzling into him as his very strong arms kept her tight to him protectively, and swayed calmingly and rhythmically to the beat in his head. Alice let him sway her to pretend she heard it too. 

“I know you do Alice.” He told her maturely, and she was glad for the not ‘songbird’ nickname again. She hiccuped into his chest and he rested his cheek on top of her skull. “It’s okay, we’ll get him back soon, I promise.” Bill was Paul’s best friend too after all, and he knew it wasn’t comparable to Alices pain, even though he’d been able to feel every fibre of it when the horror happened, but he still hurt and wished for him back too.

Alice remembered more and more of seeing her dad taken, but her brain seemed to lead on to fill in the aftermath too. She couldn’t do anything. Paul and Emma had basically adopted her. That was when Paul span her around and first called her ‘the princess of the hive’. Not that she hadn’t been chosen as the heir as soon as Paul joined the ‘family’.  
Hidgens and McNamara, the general of the army, had made her the star of a big dance number, which included picking her up onto their shoulders like a throne to make her feel better and seeing or feeling the teen smile had helped the hive a whole bunch. She had a big bursting verse at the end of the song... but she couldn’t remember the lyrics anymore.   
Now she wished she had been taken too.

Alices tears dried on Paul’s shirt that was dampened in spots as she forced herself to calm, and speaking of the former head of PEIP, he just walked into Paul’s house right then. 

The man stood to attention when entering the room, before he smiled down at her with a formal nod. Then crouching to his knees and speaking more friendlier to her. “How’re you doing there soldier?”

Alice nodded timidly back at him, burying her side into Paul more. She didn’t know this man expect for the few hive memories still piecing themselves back together, and if anyone was likely to figure her lie out it was him right? She felt Paul stroke her face but then realised he was doing it to cover her ears. She looked up, his hands stuck on her wherever she moved, and saw him staring intently at McNamara, but not hostile or anything. Looking over she saw McNamara staring back too and she realised, they were talking to each other in their minds. The hands over the ear thing was probably just for effect, something of human instinct left in them, but she presumed Paul would be blocking her out from hearing them telepathically anyway, so at least she didn’t have to lie about that too.

McNamara stood up slowly, very strategically, before smiling down to the human girl again. “If you’ll excuse us, Alice.” 

It felt weird to have an army general speak to her so informally but still with mass respect obvious in his tone. 

Paul kept a hold of Alice though, she wasn’t happy and that wasn’t allowed in the hive, as well as seeming to not be fully recovered from that dart either. He kept strong eye contact with McNamara. “Can it wait, general?” He asked, but the other man shook his head. “No sir.” And that left little to no room for argument. Duty called for the king of the hive.

Paul gave one smile before sighing down to Alice. He moved her like she was a child, picking her up from his lap and sitting her on the floor, except leaning her head onto his shoulder, still unsure how weak she was. 

“Emma, beauty?” He called out to her in a real sing songy voice. And in tapped Emma, the Beanies barista Alice had seen a few times and Paul’s girlfriend now. Although if her hive memories served her correctly it was a little- a lot, more than that.

“Hello my love.” She sang out to him, putting one hand on his shoulder and the other running through the back of his hair, meanwhile Alice watched from where she was still semi-weakly leant into Paul’s side. 

“Will you look after her for me while I’m gone?” He asked up at Emma softly, and Alice had almost forgotten how smitten they were without barely a care to those around them. 

Emma’s eyes wandered, and she looked to Alice excitedly, Alice smiled politely back.

“Of course my dove! We’ll have lots of fun. Though I wish I could go with you. I want to give those PEIP fuckers a piece of my mind.” She growled, though it was more playful now they were all in the safety of their home.

Paul sighed. “Not too much fun.” He looked down to Alice and this time rubbed perfect circled into the back of her hand “Our princess hasn’t been feeling too well.” He noted.

Emma moved closer and Alice held her breath as her hand reached towards her face. But Emma stroked the side of her cheek, her fingers dancing in the roots of Alices hair so spine tingling, her eyes warm, Alice almost craved to curl into it, but Emma took her hand back before she could. “Hmm, she doesn’t seem well. You’ll tell me all the plans you come up with while I watch over her?” Emma asked Paul, smiling as he lit up.

“Of course my love! We need your brains on this.” Paul gently moved Alice onto the floor, and made sure she could support herself, with her hands flat on the ground just behind her, and he smiled worriedly. “Bye Alice.” He sang, sweeping down to kiss her forehead before waiting for her to speak.

Oh. “Goodbye uncle Paul! Stay safe.”  
she added and luckily that seemed to work. Paul smiled at her and Emma ran her hand over Alices hair as she followed Paul to the entrance of the living room.

“Come back soon Paul.” Emma asked him, leaning up on her toes to wrap her arms all the way around his neck. Paul smiled as he leant for down for her. “As soon as I can my love.” They kissed grossly and Alice had to look away, Paul had never kissed any of his partners in front of her, so he she hadn’t seen him eat anyone’s face either. She kind of wished the hive memories that were coming to mind now could stay forgotten. 

She instead looked from where Paul and Emma were pressing themselves so close onto each other like they had to be one being, and caught eyes with General McNamara, who had seen the display of love and been smiling, but now looked to Alice instead. She gave him a tried smile and tried not to let her breath change as he walked over, calming when he just fondly ruffled her hair. She smiled up at him before chancing a look back to Paul and Emma who were still making out! She didn’t even think they’d taken a second for breath by the looks of things. Then Alice tried not to drive herself crazy wondering if there was the blue gunk on here forehead from Paul’s kiss now by the state of Emma.

Paul pulled back, substantially more blue on his lips and cheek and dripping down his chin than he’d had before. He ideally wanted it going from his neck down to his fingers and really over every inch of his body till Emma had to make the colour darker again. But he had business to take care of, until everyone was part of their family life couldn’t be be all play. 

He looked over to Alice who just played with the frays of her white skirt, sprayed blue and red, and gave the smallest of whines. One Emma heard and the general felt. “Don’t worry my sweet.” Emma cooed, fixing up the folds of his suit jacket and playing a tune with her fingers down his cheek like a piano. Her eyes were brighter than her smile as he looked into hers. “It’s okay. Go, I’ll protect her.”

Paul noddded, letting Emma’s touch soothe his fears away, he couldn’t hear Alice. Then he could only hear Emma as she connected their lips again and the only thing he felt was Emma’s skin under his fingers, as he without thinking wrapped his hands under her shirt and to her hips to pull her close into him, and could feel her warmth inside his mind.

But then Paul left with the general, and with a small smile closed door, Emma wiped her face with her forearm, before smiling sweetly down to Alice and plopping herself down on the floor with her. 

Apart from Beanies orders, please’s and thank you’s, Alice had never spoken to Emma, except in the hive. And she could barely remember those hive memories! But they were supposed to be a family, and not just the ‘hive family’ but close family. 

But Emma took Alices wobbling arms that were the only thing supporting her as what she presumed was an effect from the dart, and honestly that did have a lot to do with it too, made her weaker and she shuffled Alice about until the girls head was resting against her chest. Emma rocked her, partly Alice in her lap, as she stroked through her long hair. “It will be okay. Paul and I will rip out the throat of anyone who tries to hurt you.”

It had the opposite effect of comforting Alice. She shivered. 

This made Emma stop rocking Alice though, and suddenly she wished the woman who’d used her hands to kill many people was still using them to stroke through her hair. Emma’s voice had no song to it now, it was very serious. “Paul said you were ill. I can’t hear you.”

Alice looked up at Emma, but she almost wished she hadn’t. The barista and queen of the hive looked down at her with dead eyes, but they burned into Alices with suspicion. “You tryna keep something for me?” Emma teased but she couldn’t help that it still was in her serious voice.

Alice closed her eyes, wanting to fall asleep and escape this nightmare, or at least hide from it like a child. That’s when she realised her one power here. She whined up at Emma, scrunching up her face. “I’m tired. My head hurts. It’s all foggy.” She could use her innocence and vulnerability to her advantage.

Emma bit her lip, feeling bad for thinking something was off with the girl. With Paul’s and her niece, their heir, their perfect little Alice. She‘d simply been wronged by PEIP. Emma nodded, her arms warm wrapped around Alice’s cardiganed body. “That tranquiliser seems to have done a number on you. Go back to sleep then. No one’s gonna touch you.” She promised her. She’d fight to the death to keep Alice untouched. Well, not that she’d have to, anyone crazy enough to come in and try and hurt the girl when Emma was protecting her, especially the state Paul had been in before he left, it’d be a bloodbath. And all the while Emma would make sure their sleeping princess didn’t wake and instead woke up to a nice new red skirt.

“Is uncle Paul gonna be back when I wake up?” Alice asked, trying to sound whiny and tired. She was just slightly more comfortable around Paul than anyone in town, not that she’d tell him her secret. Oh no. She didn’t trust him that much. He’d pin her down ‘gently’ and puke his guts out into her mouth to ‘cure’ her again. She could see it all play out. But, she trusted him more than probably anyone on the island.

Emma smiled down at her, brushing her hair again and running her fingers over the younger girl’s scalp. “I don’t know my songbird. Go to sleep.”

Now Emma was singing to her. It was slightly different lyrics, and a higher pitch, but it was the same lullaby as Paul. Maybe like a duet parents would sing or something.

_♪”Cares you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While over you a watch I'll keep.  
Sleep pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby.”_

Alice tried to go to sleep. She did. And she knew it was her best bet to stop them getting suspicious, they couldn’t question her if she was unconscious and she’d never had to really test her lying or acting skills till now. But it was hard to sleep when she kept crying a lot. Emma rubbed her back and ran her hands through her hair and _sang_ to her but every few minutes another sob would wrack her body. She was scared and she knew she was against an entire hivemind, the chances were slim to nill. She’d been infected by a few kids from school last time, this was an entire island. And Emma just kept being so nice to her but smiling and trying her best to soothe her with songs and lullaby’s, but Alice knew she could easily break her limbs and if she really pushed her, open up her torso till she was just barely a shell of life and infect her like that, ‘she’d’ seen it happen. then Alice would be lost again. Someone who wanted to _hurt_ people, like that colonel who’d cured her in the first place.

She knew she’d have to try and find a way out of here. If she kept acting sick they’d want to infect her ‘more’ rather than again, and that’s if they didn’t find out before that, which she thought they would. So, her only plan of action, albeit a risky one, was this: she would have to try and get captured by PEIP.

~

Alice didn’t remember going to sleep, but to be fair she was slightly drugged up still, and had been in a very emotionally exhausting state. But waking up in bed was strange too. It was her bed she’d had while staying with Paul and Emma. Deb had slept in it a few nights with her she started to remember. 

Had Emma carried her there? Maybe Paul when he came back. Or even a ‘family’ friend of there’s, she had a faint memory of her being sleepy in the hive, and waking up to the general putting her to bed rather than listening to battle plans. She blinked a few times from awkwardness at that memory, but it had seemed so perfectly natural at the time. To be cared for like that.

Well not any more. The hive wasn’t really caring, not really. It was an evil alien hivemind that wanted to change people and hurt them and force them to be something they didn’t want to be and that was wrong.

Alice had slept nearly three quarters of the day, but it was a new day now. A day to try again and go out to ‘attack’ PEIP, although that’s not what Alice would be doing. She could skip past really talking to anyone, or god forbid be caught out in a song and dance they try to do with her, by jumping on the early train and getting into battle positions straight away, to book it to safety and explain her situation to the military. But her plan came to a startling halt, when Paul wouldn’t let her oitside.

“But uncle Paul-!”

“No buts! You’re still not well, sweetheart.” He told her, his cold hand against her forehead, and then her cheek, before lightly holding her chin up at him. Alice made an effort not to gulp as he looked into her eyes like that, instead giving him angry and watery eyes. 

“I want to get them back for what they did to me and my dad!” She took her head back testingly, keeping eye contact just in case, and called out at him, well it was more of a whine. But Paul tutted and grabbed her by her shoulders, bringing her from the kitchen where the general watched, to her room. “No, Alice.” He spoke more sternly, sitting her down on her bed before finally letting go of her shoulders. Emma sauntered into the room too.

“After yesterday they’re going to be way more prepared, way more ready for us, maybe even angry. And I’m not risking you again! You already got hurt, and you still haven’t fully healed!” Paul argued, but Emma sat down besides Alice, who didn’t shrink away, even when the woman grabbed her hand up in hers. “Oh Paul she’s passionate, at least let her watch? Hidgens can look over her.”

“I don’t need a babysitter!” Alice said, her anxiety making those words come out so fast, just sounding like abhorrence to the idea of being babysat.

“No, Emma, not yet.” Paul said, but his voice was never harsh towards either of them. In fact, he sounded almost emotional when he spoke to Emma, his head ducked and cheeks blushing blue as he did. And with a sympathetic look to Alice, Emma stood up and hooked her fingers through Paul’s. Alice watched curiously as Emma nosed Paul’s shoulder, their eyes never met but Alice could still tell through them that they were having a hiveminded conversation. Through a slitting in Emma’s eyes, a little sparkle in Paul’s, then a sigh from Emma and her hand being brought up to be kissed by Paul. She kissed his skin back, a perfect blue imprint from even the finest details of her lips on his jawline. 

Then, Paul finally spoke to her. “You’re not to come out of this house until Emma and I are back.” He told her sternly, and Alice, trying not to get angry because her skin would burn and she’d go red and that’d be a _dead_ giveaway, followed them to the doorway with a huff, Emma skipping to the general who waited outside. 

‘Why not? Because I’m your heir?!’ Alice thought, glaring at Paul until he met her eyes. Then any firmess he had left ebbed away, and he shook his head, his blue eyes watery themselves. “Because I _love_ you.”

Alice stood a little taken aback by that. Huh. Maybe they didn’t even need a hivemind for Paul to read her.

But then Paul was locking the door with the deadbolt he’d secured a long time back, and Alice groaned, her fingers edging at the tiny gaps between the windows and wood of the door as the three all left, Paul giving her a timid wave and Emma spinning to wave too, blowing a small kiss.

Alice whimpered once they were out of sight. Paul had given himself and Emma this place as, not only was it big and comfy, but it was closer to the oustskirts to town, where PEIP never landed, and had great security. Windows that were mostly too small, locked from the outside or would be hard to break, and doors that only Paul and Emma had all the keys to.

Alice bit her lip. If they came back and she still was weird they’d have to know it couldn’t still be the tranquillisers effects, _right?_ In the least they’d all be suspicious and eventually every path lead to her becoming one with the hive again. 

Alice watched all the last few people of Hatchetfield walk by and prepare themselves for an attack further downtown, there were only a few stragglers she saw, but then one passed right by on the sidewalk, right outside her door, and Alice couldn’t believe her luck.

“Ethan?!?”

She rapped on the glass, then banged when he looked the wrong direction. “Ethan over here!” She beamed at him, when he finally made eye contact. 

Suddenly a flood of memories came rushing to her, so vivid she started to forget she was actually at the door.

Instead Alice was in general McNamaras head quarters. 

_Paul was in front of her, towering over a shaking Ethan who stood under him, his head bent, Alices blue heart pounding._

_Paul looked behind him and grabbed Alices arm, gently, pulling her forward and pushing it out in front of Ethan, who now looked up at the king._

_He held her arm closer to Ethans face, calm. “What’s this?” He asked the teenage boy._

_At this point Alice had her own head bent, face blue with shame and only looking at her black shoes sprinkled with some of her own blue droplets, and the linoleum floor collecting a few more._

_“B-blood.” Ethan answered._

_“Good.” She heard Paul’s voice now. “And where’s it coming from?”_

_“A- a scratch”_

_“No.”_

_She felt her face twitch with a wince. Ethan tried again._

_“Alice.”_

_“That’s right. The heir to the hive, should anything happen to the king and queen.” Alice felt her arm finally free as Paul let her go, and she held it to her chest, eyes down on the long but not very deep scratch, that would already start healing soon. But not before Paul had finished_

_“Do you want this family to fall? Do you want to put your friend in danger?”_

_“N-n-no! I’m sorry I-“_

_“Uncle Paul please!” Alice called out, stepping up to be at Paul’s side, if not slightly in front of Ethan, who had just taken her to his spy spot where instead of spying, they’d danced... and been caught off guard by a member of PEIP, only armed with a knife, who Ethan had scared off, after breaking both his arm and shoulder by knocking the knife away once he’d wildly swung and hit the closest target, which happened to be Alice. Ethan had grabbed Alice and started running._

She remembered that Paul wasn’t angry, and he wouldn’t hurt his family, let alone a young member of it. He was just trying to teach Ethan responsibility and- okay a little angry but like, on the level any guardian would be!

At least he got a lot less scary, even while speaking so calmly, after a lot of coaxing from Alice that none of what happened with really Ethans fault. Ethan was still just a teen facing up the their king though, and everyone could feel his shame.

But maybe this memory was so vivid because it served a purpose. Because then Alice remembered watching Ethan force everyone out of his mindspace in a fit of anger, not wanting them to know how he felt and boom. She remembered. Another superpower, except this one not just for her. Important information about all the infected teens. They were only ones who could slightly dissuade from the kings rules, because they were still, y’know, teens. 

They could choose to not mindlessly follow, or at least follow with a slight difference to the plans, a lot of salt and stubbornness. They even had the ability to block out people from looking in their mind space, maybe because teens were usually pretty private too. Well, that trick worked on adults but could on other teens too. 

They did occasionally get up to mischief because Paul, even as the king, didn’t have them in the back of his mind like he did every other person. Adults could look into them if they tried, she knew her dad did when she wouldn’t sing or talk, but if the teens tried to block them out then they won. No one was allowed to know what they were thinking. Well, unless it was Paul and then they’re usually in pain until they just give in. And Paul hated putting them in pain. 

So they’d mostly just give in after a bit of resistance. Alices first look into that was when Sof had given her the message ‘Sorry Ali, the king and your dad are on their way, they say you can’t be on a date when PEIP took the highest body count ever today, I tried to block him from interrogating me but the son of a bitch...’ and Alice suddenly felt all that had happened to her now friend.

But... that was also why Emma had joked if she was hiding something last night! And why Paul hadn’t been even _more_ suspicious that he couldn’t hear her! Oh!!!

But Alice didn’t have time to take in all those new memories and smile at her extra advantage she just remembered she had. Ethan was coming up to the door with a smile, seemingly forgetting the oncoming attack. He leant against the door frame and peered inside. “Hey Ali Cat. Whatcha doin in there?” He said amused.

Alice smiled up at him from behind the glass. Her rebellious teen friend who was, in an endearing way and nothing more of course, a bit of a dumbass, wasn’t likely to discover her secret straight away and hurt her, right?

She smiled almost cheekily up at him. “They’ve locked the princess in the tower.” She joked, hoping to still get through to him, from all her hive memories he still seemed the same guy. She tilted her head to the side, putting on a pout. “Let me out?”

For a second she worried Ethan may still be scared of Paul, she couldn’t remember those two interacting after that, maybe if she really thought on it she...

“Yeah sure.” Ethan grabbed a bobby pin he just kept in one of the many pockets in his leather jacket, now stained with dried blood and considerably more worn from the rough and tumble. He smiled down to himself as he expertly picked the lock.

“Thanks Ethan!” She called out excitedly, grasping the wooden frame with anticipation. She then added “I just wanna go out and have fun!” But maybe she’d have been better staying quiet. But Ethan, very in character, just snorted. “Yeah yeah because battles are so fun, who cares right? Just try and block your uncle from knowing I let you out if he does find out, I don’t think he’ll go too Jedi mind trick-y on you Ali.”

Alice laughed behind her door. “Uhm one, our ‘king’ is not scary at all, unless you get me hurt.” She felt it was alright to mock his status with Ethan when she was mad at Paul, that was a thing teens did, even as part of the hive, and Ethans nod helped seal that idea. “And two, is that the mind trick they use? I thought it was like the ‘power of persuasion’ or something.” She added, slightly nervously and bouncing on her feet for the lock pick to work.

“Yeah I dunno.” Ethan admitted. “Never seen em.” Their conversation was almost _normal_. Then no more than a second later did they hear the click of the lock undoing, did they look into each other’s eyes with smirks and pure excitement, and did Ethan throw away the lock and Alice push open the door. “Oh thank you thank you!!” Alice ran forward for a hug but, in what was a surprise to her but shouldn’t have been to hive her, Ethan picked her up and she quickly wrapped her legs around his hips, as he span her around with a gloved hand in her hair. Alice did giggle, missing this feeling, but honestly, probably mostly wracked with nervous energy, before Ethan put her down.

But not for long did she go without having to think on her feet because Ethan had taken up her hand and given her a couple of spins upon remeeting. Alice did her best to giggle in that too, even though it was starting to make her feel sick. Luckily after a couple, Ethan stopped to just smile, slightly sadder, down at her. “The hive is worried about you especially considering because Paul is, how you doing princess?”

Even though she was ‘technically’ in the loosest term, a princess, since she was ‘heir’ to the hive, or at least she was when she was infected, she could sense that among the fondness and concern of the question, there was still a tease in his tone as he called her that. 

Alice slowly punched his shoulder, hoping that still made sense for hive behaviour, before stepping on something that no one should question her behaviour for. Her smile sank fast. “I miss my dad.” She let out, then just for good measure “And I still feel a bit ill. But I want to fight for him.”

“Yeah, I miss your dad too.”

Alice looked up to give Ethan a small smile but before she could, he held onto her hand and started to walk with her. “Come on” he smirked behind him, Alice quickly keeping up the pace but sticking right into Ethans side, he’d think it was just because the hive didn’t care as much about boundaries, really she wanted no one to see her and alert ‘the king’. Even after all the changes and bloodshed, Ethans hand was, considerably stronger, but still, soft. “I’ll get you somewhere safe, but where you can fight.”

And Ethan and her walked through the shadows, where they- meaning Ethan- checked the hivemind and made sure nobody else was, all as he brought her closer to the centre of town where a PEIP helicopter was mostly likely to land, always holding her hand unless leaping, literally leaping, to his next position, Alice trying her best to follow but blaming that darn tranq still.

She felt it was alright to say Hidgens had warned her dancing too much in her state might be dangerous, because there was no way Ethan, even if he thought to do it, was going to go invading Hidgens mind space, since the professor would then immediately know who he was with and alert Paul to go get Alice. 

Ethan seemed to hold her closer to him after she told him that. They got to Sycamore, when Ethan turned to a peculiarly quiet Alice, even for Alice. He stopped in his tracks and stood straight, it freaked Alice out. She stood broad as well, making sure to put her hands on her hips and stare at him back, even if her throat was closing up. “What?” She asked him, trying to sound menacing. 

Ethans lip twisted up into a grimace, not fuelling Alice with confidence, before he asked. “Are you sure this is a good idea? You’re super quiet. You’re not dancing great and I haven’t heard a note out of you.”

Alices breath quickened.

“Maybe you’re still ill.” He stalked forward and it took all of Alices might to stand in position, even as he lifted the back of his gloved hand to her head, preventing him from really feeling much temperature. “Maybe... I dunno Alice...”

This was it. Ethan of all people would catch her out because of her stupid anxiety ridden big mouth if she didn’t find a good excuse in-

“Maybe you really are the ickle baby pwincess. I don’t think you could beat me into a race onto the rooftop, you’re that poorly.” He smirked, his eyebrows raising in his excitement and nodding his head at his friend towards the two ladders, not attached, but leading to the school roof.

Alice felt nothing but a cold wave of sweet relief flood through her, and then looking to the ladder Ethan was still nodding his head at, an idea sparked in her brain. “Oh man, you’re on.”

Ethan span to face her, a new spark in his eyes. _♪”It’s going down,”_

Oh no. Alice couldn’t sing with him! She didn’t know the words. Her wide eyes turned from fear to trying to look playful. She sauntered forward trying to look dainty, letting out a long hum that sounded like it was at least on the same scale as whatever song Ethan had in his head... before running towards the ladder. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Ethan spoke now, cackling as she’d used his song as an advantage, he’d forgotten now to give chase. So give chase he did. He sprinted past Alice almost straight away, and it wasn’t just to do with his skills. He laughed in her face as he passed, nudging her lightly and Alice blurted out a giggle, seeming like the natural thing to do even though she wanted to scream.

It was really hard actually to pretend to be running fast when really you’re trying to let the other get a massive advantage.

Ethan gasped a “Yes!” As his hands clung to the rusty if not wobbly metal of his ladder, jumping the rings two at a time just to beat his friend. His fingers dug into the roofing of the rival school and he pulled himself gracefully onto its top, looking down and laughing as he saw Alice only just reach the ladder. “Too slow Ali cat!” He kicked his feet out playfully from above her. “Wanna race to the edge of the roof? Promise to catch ya if you’re still too weak.” He teased, only for his laughter to die down as Alice just watched him. His eyebrows knitted together. “Alice?”

With a huff, Alice shoved both the ladders and knocked them down, preventing Ethan from getting off the roof and more importantly, following her. She sighed cathartically when it was done, but when she looked up and saw Ethans blue eyes full of betrayal and confusion, her heart leapt. Even though it wasn’t her Ethan, she felt bad especially now she had to lie to him again.

“Alice?” He asked, more scared now. 

But it was for her survival.

“I’m sorry Ethan!” She called up at him, trying to keep her voice as low as possible. “But I really gotta fight for my dad! I can’t just sit and spy, I gotta be in on the action!” She tried to persuade him, but gasping as she’d almost forgotten the most important thing. “Do not tell Paul!!” She pointed her finger way up at him and puffed out her cheeks, and suddenly she held the most power and was the more menacing here. “I promise I’ll stay safe so you don’t have to call anyone! Just don’t tell him or I’ll never speak to you again!” It was childish, but it seemed to have worked. Instead of dangling his legs, Ethan held them to his chest now, still so lost. “Alice wait!” He called out, but as soon as he said her name Alice spun on her heel, maybe subconsciously getting used to some hive pizzaz, and ran off where not even Ethan could see her from his birds eyes view.

It was harder to navigate the streets now Ethan wasn’t there to know exactly where everyone was in town, but Alice would have to just do this for herself!

The sounds of shooting started and Alices feet froze on the tarmac beneath her. Every natural instinct screamed at her but now she had a different charge, and she ran directly towards the gunfire. Alice ran and ran and ran, avoiding getting too close to hive members, who shouldn’t even notice her they were busy in the brawl right now, but it was hard to let her get close to the soldiers. Until a flank rushed in to hit the first wave of infected.

Alice was on the sidelines when she saw a man in the PEIP uniform with no one to fight, holding the barrier. About 100 feet from the army helicopter. This was her chance.

“DON’T SHOOT!” She yelled at the top of her lungs, walking slowly in from the shadows with raised arms and a beating heart. Well she supposed she’d rather have a shot fired into her than be clawed apart if that was how it had to end. But she let out a whine as the man ran forward, and grabbed her arm, but not painfully. She didn’t know, but this was the last man who had tried to get her on the chopper yesterday. “Civilian?” He asked anyway, getting out a mini light and shining it in her eyes.

Alice tried not to blink or avert her gaze. “Yes yes!! You shot me with a cure yesterday!” She frantically told him, she noticed he had a really bushy moustache under there, and was about the same age as her dad, maybe a couple of years younger, but about all she could see from his heavily armoured mask.

“Come with me! Drag your feet for effect!” Then man ordered, and Alice did so, as he placed his arms around her to protect her, and started dragging her to the helicopter. 

This was it!   
Even in the middle of a war zone, Alice was smiling.  
She was finally going to be saved!

“ALICE!!!”

Alice felt the arm around her get ripped away, much too fast for comfort. She fell straight to the ground, the man caught completely off guard, or maybe he’d shoved her back in his last grip of her, maybe the attacker had shoved her out of the way. She steadied herself sitting down and looked up in terror.

Paul had found her.

Alice could do nothing but watch in silent sick horror. Watch as Paul shoved this man who had saved her, the man with the nice bushy moustache who looked about the same age, but maybe younger, than her dad, and eviscerated him alive.

The man’s one scream, his last dying sound, was cut off with a gargle of his own blood as Paul’s nails dug through his clothes and chest, and ripped out his still beating heart, which still desperately spurted out blood and tried to get it to his body, keep its owner alive, but it was too late. Paul had murdered the man.

He made it slow, and painful, and did it all as Alice watched. 

Alice couldn’t move. She swayed in place for a moment, her eyes dull, before Paul threw the organ to the ground with a disrespectful thud. 

Alices face cracked. This was her fault.

Paul marched towards her and Alices mouth opened in horror, but she wasn’t even allowed to scream. She didn’t move either.

Paul grabbed her arm and pulled her softly to her feet.

“Oh. Oh no. No no n-“ Alice stumbled and Paul caught her, steadying her up again.

“SSH!” Paul tried, the explosion of something downtown making him louder, and making Alice be able to hear more than just her own, still beating, heartbeat. She started to sob dryly.

Paul put his bloodied wet hand to her face, stroking down her soft cheek, her smooth hair. “Ssh Alice it’s alright!” He looked concerned, but with furrowed eyebrows, almost strangely as to why Alice was still so shaken about almost being taken.

“Mmmmm” Alice whimpered to herself, trying to hold back hot thick sick from spewing out her mouth. Not consciously, but her survival instincts were still kicking. Even as her cheek and hair were painted such a vibrant colour.

“Alice go home now!” Paul told her, looking like he was about to suggest an escort when-

“PAUUL!!” Ted screamed for him from his faction, PEIP had brought what looked like a battering ram and were using it as a force to break the bones of multiple members of their hive at a time. And Alice, on the side, in the dark, even only 20 feet away from the helicopter, was left there as he ran to help his family. As it was deemed safe enough away from the action.

Well. It seemed like Alice would just have to try and save herself. She didn’t let her heart think, she let the survival part of her brain take over and knew she couldn’t stay here. Maybe she could find another side near the helicopter where she could calmly and secretly alert someone to her-

Click.

Alice felt the barrel of a pistol to her head, and she froze.

This was it. She was sure. PEIP were so tired they were going to shoot her point blank and then not only would both sides lose, the hive their heir and PEIP having killed an innocent human teenager, but Alice would be dead. 

But no. Instead she felt a hand grab the back of her neck in a tight pinch and shove her forwards, towards the centre, right on the air steps, and in front of the battle. Alice turned her head and saw the one and only Colonel Schaffer holding her, her hair messed and frizzled with a bloody gash on it, that’s all Alice saw, before her head was shoved forward with the gun again, and she shut her mouth tight, as did everyone, with one cry from the colonel.

“MATTHEWS!”

The fighting stopped from all sides, as Paul turned around and looked in utter horror. He dropped a soldier who crawled back to the helicopter, with only use of his arms.

Alice put her hands up to Schaffer’s arm that was now wrapped tight around her neck, because it was actually hurting. Schaffer was unfazed.

Emma ran up to Pauls side to comfort him, looking on at Alice, then Schaffer, with big scared, then angry, eyes, before trying to hold onto Paul’s arm. Paul, was **growling** at Schaffer. Extremely feral, his chest and shoulders rising quick and heavy, his eyes trained only on her, his hands perked like he was ready to swipe, his whole body fully vibrating with rage, blue _foaming_ down his chin.

Then the gun was pressed harder into Alices temple.

And Paul stopped.  
“Don’t hurt her.”

“Don’t make me!” Schaffer yelled.

His whole feral act had dropped and he seemed so human at that point.

Emma could feel Paul’s heart crashing and breaking inside of hers and she kept strong, _he seemed so helpless,_ holding him up and glaring down the colonel. “You’re not going to shoot a child!”

“Don’t test me Perkins!” Schaffer shouted to her. 

Alice felt the grip on her neck tighten and she squeezed for a breath, hands losing their feeling the more she gripped onto the colonel arms.

“Let them go!” Schaffer ordered the king and queen, nodding to her beaten down, injured, and too far away soldiers. This was her best bet at getting the most men back, and she was fucking taking it.

There were no words from either of them, both just glared straight at clolonel. It didn’t make Alice, who was right with the colonel, feel very good either. But all the soldiers passed without any difficulty from the hive.

“And you call us the monsters!” Paul declared, giving Schaffer the most disgusted glower he could. 

In fact, no one even touched the PEIP soldiers, while the king and queen didn’t look to a single one. Even as they passed right by the two of them and all got onto the safety of their helicopter.

And when they were Paul finally spoke. “Okay.” He held his hand out, his eyes meaningful on the colonel. “Give her back now.”

That was the deal after all. And the colonel had always been at least respectful in their encounters. 

But instead, Schaffer shuffled, one step back to safety, and held the girl closer to her chest. Although Alice could still feel the gun against her head.

Paul looked more upset now, body itching in place, as she ordered him to stay, his palm still open. “Give her back to me.”

Alice knew it was time to look up, she had enough wriggle room and she looked straight up into the colonels eyes, her own watery as the helicopter blades started to swirl to life. Her throat tightened, and it only come out barely audible, but Alice hoped for the sake of her life, she was strong enough to be understood. “Please.”

That one word, from that one girl, made Schaffer’s mouth fall open. He heart beat harder than it had all day in her battle, as she looked into this kids eyes and read her. Oh God. This was the girl she tranqued with the cure! And it worked! She’d survived until this point?!

Paul looked up to where they where, he saw the look between their eyes... but he still couldn’t hear his girl. “Alice?” He called out. Confused, soft.

Alice looked over at him sincerely apologetically, before Schaffer removed the gun and her arm. “Go go go!” She urged Alice and, not looking back, Alice ran into the helicopter with Schaffer following closely behind, a hand on the girl’s back and buckling her into the seat as they lifted into the air.

All this until Alice was seated and she made her fist move to peer out her window... and watched Paul just fall to his knees, with Emma putting a hand atop his shoulder, as they watched her lift off the ground and far off the island.

Alice barely flinched as Schaffer forced the light into her eyes, before sighing and tossing her hand friendlily onto Alices shoulder. “Good God kid, you’re one bright girl!” She told her, not really having expected this but exhaustedly cheerful. This was great news!

Alice just nodded, sniffing once before finally looking safely into a humans eye, for the first time in a long time. And not needing to be brave anymore. “Can I just see my dad now please?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please please y’all tell me what you thought bc this was an idea I was very excited to do!!
> 
> As always leave any and all comments as they’re always appreciated!!
> 
> And as always, stay safe y’all 💕


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